Donald Trump Meeting with Pharmaceutical Companies to Accelerate Coronavirus Vaccine

Unlike a traditional vaccine that prevents disease, the aim of NeoVax, an experimental ski
AFP
Charlie Spiering

President Donald Trump said during a Monday meeting at the White House with Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez that he is asking pharmaceutical companies to accelerate a vaccine for the coronavirus as an outbreak continues to threaten the United States.

“We’re talking about a vaccine, maybe a cure. It’s possible. We’ll see about that,” Trump said. “We’ve asked them to accelerate whatever they’re doing in terms of a vaccine.”

Currently, human trials for the vaccine are about six weeks away, according to Health Department officials.

Trump said he already planned to meet with the heads of pharmaceutical companies to discuss lowering drug prices but that he would focus the conversation on the coronavirus.

“We’re working very hard with the CDC, with everybody, on a subject that has become a very big subject,” Trump told reporters.

There are now 86 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States and two deaths, both in Washington state.

“Some additional people were reported,” Trump said. “They’re in good shape, but we have some additional people that were reported, not very many in the United States.”

Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the coronavirus task force, will hold a press conference at 5:00 p.m. to discuss the government response with Ambassador Deborah Birx:

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